You Choose Layered Bar Cookie
Warmer weather means more social gatherings, and social gatherings mean you may be called upon to bring food for a small crowd. An easy to prepare and even easier to serve treat is a bar cookie. You load ingredients in a layer, then bake them in the pan you will be serving them in. Easy. Besides, these layered cookies will be a hit, making you a baking hero.
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup non-dairy butter melted
- 1 (11 to 12-ounce) can non-dairy sweetened condensed milk, or make your own (see note)
- 2 cups cookie crumbs such as graham cracker, vanilla wafer, or chocolate wafer
- 2 cups baking chips such as chocolate chips or peanut butter chips OR no-nut M&Ms
- 1 ½ cups dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, or cherries, chopped into small pieces if needed
- 1 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, or peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack set in the middle of the oven. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with greased foil or parchment paper.
- Stir together the melted butter and cookie crumbs in a medium bowl. Spread this into the prepared baking pan then press it down with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle the chips or M&Ms over the cookie base. Sprinkle the dried fruit over top.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over everything. Sprinkle the nuts over top. (I do this last to keep the nuts crunchy.)
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until you see liquid bubbling at the edges. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool the bars thoroughly. Cut when cool, although these are even better hours later when they have fully firmed up.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
See Holiday Layered Magic Bars for Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe.